whether a sermon conveyed in the sign and pantomime language was perfectly understood; at least, he knew that in many instances this was not the case, and persons unacquainted with the deaf-mute method of instruction would he astonished at reading the curious result of such sermons written down by the auditors or rather spectators. He might mention that Mr. Ackers had treated the historical and medical aspects of the question very fully in a lecture which he delivered before the Gloucester Literary and Scientific Institution last autumn. The medical aspect of the question was very interesting, especially to mothers, who often unwittingly did their children much injury. "When deaf children were taught to speak, they were less likely to associate with others similarly afflicted, and consequently to intermarry with them, and this was a great advantage. It would be better if they did not marry at all, but this could not be expected; Dr. Peet had calculated that the chance of the offspring of such unions being deaf was about 1 in 130, whilst Dr. Buxton put it at 1 in 135; but when two deaf mutes intermarried, the chance was 1 in 10 that their children would also be deaf. Besides, there were other evils arising from both parents being deaf. Dr. Buxton mentioned one case where a child of such parents learned the most horrible language from the bargemen on a canal near where he lived, which the parents were not aware of; and several instances had occurred of accidents to children from neither parent hearing their cries, or being aware of approaching danger. There were at present in this country upwards of 2,000 deaf children receiving absolutely no education at all. Through want of any education, and through want of a proper means of communication, even when education had been given, it was not surprising that 1 in every 25 of the deaf mutes found a resting-place in the workhouse, as shown by the last Census Returns.
Dr. Edm. Symes Thompson said they had as yet heard but little of the medical aspect of the question, but that was very strongly in favour of the German system, and he would mention two or three of the numerous facts which might be brought forward. His speciality was not aural surgery, but diseases of
